


Knight's Promise

by Nyhne



Series: Sleeping With A Friend [5]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: A knight and his prince, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Flashbacks, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, M/M, Romance, When your baby brother's more swol than you :''')
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 02:38:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6311917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyhne/pseuds/Nyhne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roderich gets himself into some trouble. High school flashback. </p>
<p>---Part of a College AU series that centers around PruAus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knight's Promise

Roderich wiped the blood from his lip after the second hit, the older boy already pulling his fist back and shaking it out with a determined look on his face.

He hadn’t let his head follow through as much as he should have and now his neck hurt, a muscle probably strained from the action. The other boy still had his hand formed into a fist, like he was thinking about hitting him again, but instead he stepped back, releasing his hold on Roderich’s shirt.

Roderich’s feet connected awkwardly with the ground and he stumbled against the wall behind him. He kept his head down, concentrating on fixing his crooked glasses and wiping the blood off his hand.

“That’s for kissing my little brother, you fucking pervert,” the blond spat. He spat literally next to Roderich’s shoes as if to intimidate him, but Roderich just moved his foot away with indifference.

“Stay the fuck away from him. If I catch you anywhere near him I’ll beat the fucking shit out of you. My little brother isn’t some—some _homo_ like you are, understand?”

That’s where he was wrong, but Roderich knew better than to say that aloud. Even if Damien had been a rather good kisser.

“Hey, are you listening to me?”

Roderich felt himself get picked up again, his shoulder blades connecting roughly with the brick wall. “ _I said if you touch him again I’ll kill you!_ ”

Roderich opened his mouth to reply, but in the next second there was a flash of pale blond hair and a fist smashed into the other boy’s jaw fantastically, causing him to let go of Roderich and stumble back a few steps.

Standing over them was Gilbert, his bronze eyes blazing and one fist still raised in a threatening stance.

“Why don’t you mind your own business, huh?” Gilbert ordered.

“Gilbert?” Roderich blinked.

The other boy’s eyes flickered angrily to Roderich for a moment before returning to the newcomer, his mouth pressed into a hard glare. He looked like he was about to get up and fight back, but movement around the corner attracted his attention and Roderich turned to see Ludwig step out from behind the building.

Ludwig was still in middle school, but for those who didn’t know any better, he looked like he could have been several years older. His awkward, childhood frame had quickly bulked into something bigger during puberty, and he already stood a good inch or so above Gilbert. The blond looked between the two brothers before gritting his teeth and scrambling to his feet, a frustrated look on his face.

“Whatever,” he sneered, backing away. “I guess you _fags_ have to stay together. But if you ever come near my brother again, Edelstein, I’ll make sure to get to you before your little boyfriend does.”

He flipped Gilbert off before leaving, the school parking lot finally empty besides the three of them. Gilbert made sure the other had left before sighing and turning to Roderich, a wary look on his face. “Are you all right?” he asked.

“You didn’t need to come save me,” Roderich said.

Gilbert frowned. “Are you kidding me? I’m not going to let you get beat up by some goon like him.”

“I was handling it fine. You didn’t need to do anything.”

“That wasn’t ‘ _fine_ ,’ Roderich. He was beating the shit out of you!”

“He punched me once!” Roderich retorted defensively. “It was just a dumb threat, Gilbert, I didn’t need you to come—“

“What the fuck, priss!” Gilbert’s eyes flashed, his fists clenched as he took a step closer. “Are you honestly fucking kidding me right now? What, you just expect me to keep walking when you’re getting the shit beat out of you by some asshole? What kind of fucking ‘thanks’ is this?”

“It _isn’t_ one, dummkopf, that’s what I’m saying!” Roderich gritted back. His shoulders were squared defensively and the cut on his lip had started to bleed again, a thin sliver of red glistening against his teeth. “Why are you being so stubborn about this—“

A small cough caught both of their attention and Roderich turned to see Ludwig still standing by the building, looking uncomfortable.

“Um, maybe the best thing would be for everyone to go home for now…” he said hesitantly.

Roderich pursed his lips and turned away. Gilbert had been one of his closest friends for years now, but he was still the most infuriating person Roderich had ever met. Why did he always have to be so stubborn about things?

“…Fine,” Gilbert muttered, looking away as well. “If that’s what the priss wants, then fine, let’s go.”

He began leading the way out of the parking lot and grudgingly, Roderich followed. None of them were old enough to drive yet, and they lived close enough to the school that they usually just walked home. The day was starting to feel a lot chillier as the early night descended.

For the entire half-mile trek they walked in silence. Gilbert lived closer to the school by a block, so they reached his house first. Ludwig fidgeted uncomfortably and glanced between them before clearing his throat. His voice was still going through some changes, its tone awkwardly deep at times.

“Well, um,” he said. “I need to go finish some homework…” he offered as an excuse, nodding a stunted goodbye to Roderich before hunching his shoulders and walking up the path that led to the Beilschmidts’ little blue house.

The two remaining boys continued to stand there without really looking at each other. Roderich concentrated his gaze on the drooping yellow grass that made up the Beilschmidts’ plain yard. Winter was setting in quick, even though it felt like the fall had just begun.

“I should get home before my parents see this,” Roderich finally said.

Gilbert scuffed one foot. “Yeah,” he replied.

Roderich nodded and readjusted the strap of his messenger bag before starting along the sidewalk again.

Without being asked to, Gilbert walked with Roderich the rest of the way to his house, just a street away. They continued to walk in silence, Gilbert’s hands shoved into his jacket pockets and Roderich’s curled against the strap of his messenger bag.

They reached his house faster than he’d expected, the custom-ordered door with the fancy three   
windows inset suddenly in front of them. Gilbert shuffled his feet. “Well, um, here you go, priss,” he muttered, looking down.

Roderich just nodded again and they stood there for a moment more in silence before Gilbert spoke again.

“Did you really kiss him?” he asked.

Roderich felt his mouth go dry for reasons he couldn’t explain. He wet his lips reflexively, his tongue feeling the raised area around the cut.

“Yeah,” he said, “I did.”

“Oh…” Gilbert replied, and then since he apparently couldn’t think of anything else to say they lapsed into another long silence.

“Well, um, I guess I should get going,” he finally said.

“Yeah,” Gilbert mumbled, “I, uh…me too.” He nodded, still keeping his head down. “See ya, priss.”

“Gilbert…” Roderich heard himself say.

Gilbert’s eyes looked up at him far too quickly, his deep bronze irises betraying much before he averted them again. “Yeah?”

His tone sounded forcibly casual.

Roderich bit at his lip and mulled the words over in his mouth. “Thank you,” he said.

The other boy let his breath out in a relieved chuckle. His shoes scuffed against the polished wood of the porch and Roderich watched him shrug his shoulders, the tension gone. “I’ll always be there for you, okay? No matter what. Knight’s promise.”

Roderich smiled demurely at his shoes before shaking his head. “You fool,” he said affectionately.

Gilbert looked up at that, indignant, but before he could respond Roderich leaned forward and kissed him once on the cheek before pulling away, an almost amused expression on his face.

“Goodnight, Gilbert,” he said before slipping through the front door, leaving Gilbert speechless.

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a College AU oneshot series that centers around Gilbert and Roderich's relationship with one another. Hopefully you'll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now, all you need to know is that Roderich is a music major concentrating in piano performance and Gilbert is a physics major whose little brother, Ludwig, is finishing up his senior year of high school back in their hometown in New Jersey. Gil and Roderich are currently in their sophomore year of college, but the series will probably branch out around that.
> 
> The oneshots don't necessarily have to be read in order, but some make more sense when read that way than others! Additionally, the Gilbert and Roderich in this AU are not particularly pious people, as the series title implies, and there will be sexual content, drug use, and underaged drinking covered in these fics. The series title isfrom the song 'Sleeping With A Friend' by Neon Trees. Thanks for reading, loves!! <3


End file.
